BEYOND EMMA BOVARY’S LIFE STYLE IN MADAME BOVARY

Abstract

Madame Bovary is a very popular novel for its controversy. I discuss the Emma Bovary’s life style since it is represents the social condition of French’s 19th century and represents the beginning of modern era. I discuss about the reason behind Emma’s struggles to climb the social hiearchy, why she spoils her money and making a lot of debt. There are two problems to discuss, they are Emma’s reasons to increase her social status and Emma’s attempts to increase her social status. The problems to discuss are to find what is beyond Emma’s life style. The data are analysed using Swingwood’s Sociology of Literature and Veblen’s Theory of Leissure Class. I use sociological approch in analysing the text. The technique of collecting data in this study is library research. The method used is descriptive interpretative. In modern era, people may rebel againts the old tradition and create a new way of thinking. Emma tries to climb the social hierarchy because of her modern way of thinking. It has always been her true soul for being modern. Her reason in raising her social status to get a better life as she reads in books, to become wealthy, to be respected by other, and to be in part in modern era. Her attempts in raising her social status are by buying expensive clothes, furnishes her house with the best furniture, and trying to live as the higher class society. She rebels the tradition ideas. At the time, social status is a birth gift, and she tries to rebel that way of thinking by spending her money and becomes consumptive to show the people that she can also be a part of higher class society. Emma Bovary reflects the idea of modernism.